Eureka founders launch label with Fremantle deal

Eureka Productions’ founders and co-chiefs Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin have launched Eureka Studios, which has in turn struck a three-year deal with Fremantle.

The agreement will see Eureka Studios, led by Culvenor and Franklin, focusing on creating and developing new IP that will then be sold and produced by Fremantle and its companies. That includes Eureka Productions, which became part of the super-indie in 2021 and will now be led by Rikkie Proost, who becomes chief exec.

Eureka Studios will focus on global unscripted formats, developing original ideas in gaming, sports-adjacent content and scripted programming.

Eureka Productions will continue to focus on unscripted entertainment series across all platforms in the US and Australia. It has been behind formats like Holey Moley for ABC and Netflix’s Dating Around, as well as Seven Network’s Farmer Wants a Wife and The Amazing Race Australia for Network Ten.

Proost joined the label in 2019 as chief content officer and has overseen many of the company’s most leading titles including Farmer Wants a Wife, Nine Network sibling Parental Guidance, The Amazing Race Australia, The Mole for Netflix and Luxe Listings for Amazon Prime.

RTL Group-owned Fremantle said the partnership with Culvenor and Franklin would expand its global strategy “beyond the traditional approach of developing and selling content locally, and optimising the commercial value of developed IP worldwide”.

Jennifer Mullin, Fremantle chief exec, said the deal would “enable us to develop exciting content for our audiences worldwide.”

She added: “Chris and Paul are true visionaries and since our collaboration began in 2016, have brought some of the most creative productions to our pipeline. I am equally delighted that Rikkie has taken the role of CEO, Eureka Productions and look forward to working together more closely as he continues the success of the label with shows such as, Farmer Wants a Wife, The Floor and Australian Idol.”

Culvenor and Franklin added: “Founding and growing Eureka Productions has been an incredible journey. Together with Fremantle and our exceptionally talented teams and partners, we have built a leading force in unscripted entertainment.

“As we expand our focus to this exciting new initiative, we remain fully connected to our production business, which will thrive under Rikkie’s brilliant leadership. The launch of Eureka Studios marks a major new creative venture at the heart of Fremantle’s global business, and we look forward to building a pipeline of bold original formats for the international market.”

Proost said: “It’s been an incredible ride working with Paul and Chris over the past six years and I’m thrilled we get to evolve together in this new dynamic era of entertainment.

“At Eureka Productions we will continue to do what we do best; deliver world-class content, created by world-class people, to our valued partners and global audiences.”

Culvenor and Franklin launched Eureka Productions in 2016 and sold a majority stake to Fremantle five years later. The duo will remain “actively involved” in current productions and “closely associated” with the Eureka Productions slate, Fremantle said.